Brown M L Pte 74307 5th Durham Light Infantry

BROWN, MABERLEY LENS, Private, No. 74307, 2/5th (Territorial) Battn. The Durham Light Infantry, s. of Maberley Lens Brown, of 13, The Pavement, Ladywell; b. New Cross, London, S.E., 29 Jan. 1891; educ. Gordon Brock School, Brockley, S.E.: joined the Durham Light Infantry 17 Oct. 1916; served with the Salonika Army, and died at No. 50 General Hospital,  Salonika, 16 Dec. 1918, of bronchial pneumonia, contracted while on active service. Buried there. His Commanding Officer wrote: . It was a sad blow to his company, and to all who knew him, and his loss is keenly felt. Even in the gladness of peace here there is a shadow caused by the absence of all those who, like your husband, so bravely fought and so generously gave their lives for their country.” He m. 4 Aug. 1912, Ada Catherine (31, Dalmain Road, Forest Hill, S.E.), dau. of Henry Nunham, of 3, Dal-main Road, Forest Hill, S.E., and had three sons: Henry George, b. 24 Feb. 1916; Frederick James, b. 1915, and Maberley Lens, b. 22 April, 1916.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 5

BATCHELOR, WILLIAM JOHN, Private, 1/6th (Territorial) Battn. The Durham Light Infantry, only s. of James Edward Batchelor, of 16, Calverley Street, Tunbridge Wells, Cabinet Maker, by his wife, Margaret, dau. of (-) Smart; b. Tunbridge Wells, co. Kent, 1 Jan. 1890; educ. King Charles’s School there was employed at Messrs. Truscotts & Sons, Printers, Tonbridge; joined the Durham Light Infantry 7 July, 1917; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 20 April, 1918; was taken prisoner during the fighting in the Champagne sector 27 May following, and died a prisoner of war at Worms, Germany, 24 Oct. of the same year, of dysentery. Buried there. He m. at St. James’s, Tunbridge Wells, 2 Aug. 1913 Edith Louisa (126, St. Mary’s Road, Tonbridge), dau. of the late Edward Henry Keys, and had a son, Ronald Edward, b. 5 April, 1916.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 5

Boyd W Lt 8th Durham Light Infantry

Lieutenant WILLIAM BOYD,

Sth Durham Light Infantry, was the son of Alderman J. T. Boyd, O.D., J.P., of Durham, and was born in 1894. He entered the School as a Day Boy from Mr. Castley’s School, Durham, in September, 1909, and left at Easter, 1911, proceeding to the Durham University College of Medicine, Newcastle-on-Tyne, where he was in his second year when war was declared. Being already in the D.U.O.T.C., he received his commission in the 8th Durham Light Infantry in August, 1914, and he joined the 1/8th Battalion in France in May, 1915; he saw much heavy fighting, and was killed whilst in command of a company at Warlencourt on the 5th November, 1916.

As a runner he gained distinction at the University, which he represented in the three mile race in the Inter-University Sports.

In 1918 a marble memorial to his memory was placed in St. Nicholas Church, Durham.

Source :The War Record Of Old Dunelmians 1914-1919

Adamson R W 2nd Lt 7th Durham Light Infantry

2nd Lieut. ROBERT WILLIAM ADAMSON,

7th Durham Light Infantry, was the eldest son of J. Adamson, J.P., of Durham, and was born in 1873. He came to the School as a Day Boy in May, 1886. He played in the XV. in 1890, and, after leaving in December of that year, played for Durham County, and also for the Durham City Team. During the South African War he served for three years as a volunteer in the North Staffordshire Regiment, afterwards being employed in the National Provincial Bank at Sunderland.

He was gazetted to the 7th Durham Light Infantry in October, 1914, and went to France with the 1/7th Battalion on the 19th April, 1915. His Division was plunged straight into the Second Battle of Ypres, and he was reported missing on the 24th of May, and later was officially presumed to have been killed on that date.

R. W. Adamson was the elder brother of Capt. C. Y. Adamson, O.D., who was killed on the Salonika Front.

Source : The War Record Of Old Dunelmians 1914-1919

BAGGULEY, JAMES LIONEL, Lieut., 13th (Service) Battn. The Durham Light Infantry, elder s. of George Thomas Bagguley, of Newcastle, co. Stafford, by his wife, Edith, dau. of James Rogers; b. 4 Oct. 1903; educ. the High School, Newcastle-under-Lyme; was in his father’s business, which, as a Bookseller, has a history of over 250 years; joined the 5th (Territorial) Battn. The Prince of Wales’s (North Staffordshire Regt.) on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914; gazetted 2nd Lieut. The Durham Light Infantry, Feb. 1915, and Lieut. Dec. 1916; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from Nov. 1915, and was temporarily attached to a Pioneer Battn.; after a few months’ service on the Flanders front, he rejoined his own battalion, and later was attached to the Trench Mortar Battery; took part in the operations on the Somme from the beginning of July to early in Oct. 1915, going through much heavy fighting, including Fricourt, Contalmaison, Pozières, Martinpuich and Le Sars; in Oct. he was sent as an Instructor on the light trench-mortar gun to one of the Army schools in France for a period, after which he rejoined his battery. His last action was Messines Ridge. In June, 1917, he sat for a Division Examination for Instructorship, and, coming out first, was appointed Instructor at the 10th Corps School; came home on leave in Oct., when he returned for the winter course, and was accidentally killed 6 Dec. 1917, by the premature explosion of a trench-mortar shell. Buried in Westoutre Cemetery, near Ypres. He was twice recommended for the Military Cross. While at school he had a brilliant career; won a Governor’s Scholarship, 1907; Mayer Exhibition, 1908; C.C. Scholarship, Minor C., 1905, and Intermediate, 1909. In Oxford Seniors, 1911, he passed in Class 1 with several distinctions, being placed second in England in higher mathematics, twelfth in physics, and forty-first in mathematics. He was a Præpostor, and in the first Fives couple, Hockey X., Rugby XV., and Cricket XI. He played in the Cricket XI. from 1908, and was captain in 1910 and 1911. As a batsman, he made the record for aggregate of runs while in the eleven, being the only one to make over 1,000 runs, which record was marked by a presentation from O.N. cricketers. He was Corpl. in the School O.T.C.; unm.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 5

WALKER, JAMES, Private, No. 1780, 1/9th Battn. Durham L.I. (T.F.); b. Newcastle-on-Tyne, 23 Aug. 1891; educ. Gateshead-on-Tyne; enlisted in the Durham L.I., 21 April, 1914; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and was killed in action on the outskirts of Ypres, 3 May, 1915. Buried in the Chateau grounds, west of Brielin, on the Poperinghe Road. He m. at the Roman Catholic Church, Dunston, 26 Dec. 1912, Mary (189, Rose Street, Gateshead), dau. of John Quinn, and had a child.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1

Bambrough H Pte Durham Light Infantry

Bambrough Herbert William Pte 22184 12th Durham Light Infantry

Of Killamarsh

Source : The Vivid 17th Apr 1915

Born 1886 in Thornaby-On-Tees

Married Winifred Fretwell 28th Dec 1912

Killed In Action 17th Jul 1916 Age 30

Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial France  Pier and Face 14 A and 15 C.

Husband of Winifred Evan (formerly Bambrough), of Netherthorpe Lane, Killamarsh, Sheffield.

Swetenham E Lt 2nd Durham Light Infantry

SWETENHAM, EDMUND, Lieut., 2nd Battn. Durham L.I., only child of Clement William Swetenham, of Somerford Booths, Congleton, co. Chester, late Lieut., R.N., by his wife, Louisa, yst. dau. of Ralph Creyke, of Rawcliffe and Marton Hall, Yorkshire; b. Somerford Booths aforesaid, 30 April, 1890; educ. Eastman’s Royal Naval Academy; Army School, Stratford-on-Avon, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst: gazetted 2nd Lieut., 2nd Battn. Durham L.I., 20 April, 1910, and promoted Lieut., 1 Jan. 1914; went to the Front, 1 Oct. 1914, and was killed in action in the trenches at Rue du Bois, near Armentières, 27 Oct. following: unm. Buried there.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1

Stoddart S Sergt 12038 10th Durham Light Infantry

STODDART, SYDNEY, Sergt., No. 12038, Machine-gun Section, 10th (Service) Battn. Durham L.I., only s. of Edward Stoddart, of 3, Brantwood Terrace, Tindale Crescent, Bishop Auckland, Cordwainer, by his wife, Margaret, dau. of the late Joseph Brown; b. Barnard Castle, co. Durham, 21 Sept. 1889; educ. there; and was afterwards a Ticket Collector at Crook Station, North Eastern Railway; volunteered on the outbreak of war and enlisted in the 10th Durham L.I., 12 Aug. 1914; went to France, 19 May, 1915, was promoted Sergt. on or about 29 May, and was killed in action at Ypres, 21 July, 1915; unm. Buried in the 43rd Brigade Cemetery there. Lieut. John B. Rosher wrote to his mother: “I know so well what a splendid fellow he was, as he has been in my machine-gun section so long. Always cheery under the most adverse circumstances, and always ready to help in every way possible. He is a great loss to my section, and I feel that his loss is a personal one. We have worked the gun together several times and I had many opportunities of admiring his coolness and courage.”

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1